After completing the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven, the officials finally returned to the palace.
Only after passing through the palace gates did Xu Chu unable to help but whisper, "Your Majesty, you were so majestic just now! How come you returned so quickly? You should have at least been more majestic."
If it were me, I would at least stay up until night, so that the world could witness what a miracle truly is.
The scene just now was simply incredible; it made his blood boil. Every move they made was like a god descending to earth, and he felt incredibly awe-inspiring just watching from the sidelines.
The Emperor is still too modest.
"Nonsense!"
Lin Yi rolled his eyes at him. If this guy weren't such a simpleton, he'd be beheaded for just that one sentence. What do you mean, "If it were you"? Do you want to be emperor, kid?
He said irritably, " Zhongkang, do you know why miracles are always fleeting and not last forever?"
ah?
This question left Xu Chu somewhat bewildered. He couldn't help but scratch his head, looking puzzled, and asked, "Your Majesty, isn't it better for miracles to last longer?"
"Nonsense, because the longer it goes on, the easier it is to be exposed!" Xun Yu said meaningfully from the side.
Holy crap!
Xu Chu was stunned and exclaimed, "What? That was fake? I clearly performed a blood sacrifice at the altar..."
What a joke! I personally used the blood of Chanyu Hulan to open the altar, witnessed the appearance of the Xuanyuan Sword, and saw the rising Hongri. How could it be fake?
Seeing his bewildered expression, Jia Xu patted him on the shoulder and laughed, "Brother Zhongkang, you truly are a capable protector; no one else could be better than you!"
Forehead!
Xu Chu's lips twitched; it didn't feel like he was being praised at all.
Soon everyone returned to the main hall of the palace. Lin Yi looked at Jia Xu below him and said in a deep voice, " Wenhe, have you finished compiling the list of dukes that I asked you to organize?"
Duke!
Everyone's eyes lit up. This was a duke, a title second only to a king. The emperor was certainly being generous. Anyone who obtained a title was basically at the pinnacle of power, or at least showered with honor.
Even if this thing has little to do with power, it just sounds nice.
Upon realizing this, they all became excited; this was His Majesty the Emperor's approval.
"Your Majesty, I have prepared the list. Please make your selection." Jia Xu took out a memorial from his robes and handed it over, speaking in a deep voice.
Lin Yi took the memorial and examined it carefully.
As his longest-serving strategist, he was well aware of everyone's contributions and abilities, making him an absolutely reliable person to summarize their achievements.
The sixteen dukes were Ma Chao, Chen Qun, Xun Yu, Gongsun Zan Zhang Liao, Qu Yi Liao, Gan Ning, Chen Dao, Gao Shun, Wang Yue, Jiang Wei, Mi Zhu, Guan Yu, Wang Ziwen, Bai Zizai, Bai Zizai, and Ma Jun.
"Excellent, Wenhe put in the effort!"
Upon seeing the list, Lin Yi nodded slightly. The people on the list were all individuals with great achievements, a recognition of their merits beyond official ranks.
However, there are others whose achievements are also significant, and we should not forget them.
Lin Yi picked up his pen and added Jia Xu and Pu Yuan, as well as the last name Zhou Bao!
Of these three, Jia Xu is undoubtedly the most deserving, while the remaining two whose merits are more controversial are Pu Yuan and Zhou Bao.
Pu Yuan initially created weapons for the Great Liang, but in terms of invention, he was not on the same level as Ma Jun, so his brilliance was overshadowed, but his contributions were undoubtedly outstanding.
Only Zhou Bao, the last one, has an even simpler reason.
After being slashed, Zhou Bao had been extremely weak and bedridden. It was Dong Feng personally treated him and healed him, and now he is able to move around again.
His achievements were few; he took a knife for the emperor of Great Liang, which was enough.
Lin Yi then handed the list to Chen Qun and said in a deep voice, "The establishment of the Great Liang is inseparable from these meritorious officials. Now that the Great Liang has been officially established, it is only natural that they should be given enough honor."
"Besides these nineteen dukes, provide a list of the rest who are entitled to be ennobled or granted titles."
Those who have made contributions should be rewarded; this is a very straightforward thing.
It's impossible to be granted the title of Duke right away. Even Lü Bu and Cao Cao couldn't do that. This is an honor that you have to fight for.
However, given Lü Bu and Pang De's achievements, they will likely have the opportunity to be promoted to the rank of Duke soon.
"Your Majesty is wise!"
The nineteen people whose names were mentioned were immediately moved to tears. The title of Duke was undoubtedly the greatest recognition, and it meant that their efforts had not been overlooked and that the Emperor remembered them.
For them, the title of Duke was a meteoric rise.
He's been bestowed with honors; a true hero of the Great Liang!
Although only Bai Zizai and Wang Ziwen from the Northern Liang faction became dukes, they knew in their hearts that most of the credit actually went to the officials of the Xiliang Liang.
The only person they were jealous of was probably Zhou Bao.
This guy actually became a duke because he took a knife for the emperor; that's truly enviable.
From a corner of the crowd, Zhou Bao stepped forward, trembling all over.
He was specially invited by the Emperor to participate in the Fengshan ceremony to worship Heaven. He was very grateful to the Emperor for allowing someone as insignificant as him to participate in such a sacred event; he was already extremely grateful.
But to his utter surprise, the emperor also granted him the title of Duke, instantly elevating him to great heights, which filled him with immense fear.
He was just a former attendant and guard of the emperor.
He knelt tremblingly before the emperor, and said bitterly, "Your Majesty, I am but a guard. How could I possibly be granted the title of Duke? I beg Your Majesty to rescind your decree!"
He knew his own limitations; he didn't have the abilities of a duke, and presumptuously assuming the position would only make others laugh at the emperor for nepotism. He decided to give up.
Lin Yi glanced at him and said quietly, "You took a knife for me back then, that's a tremendous achievement, enough to earn you the title of Duke. This is your contribution to the Great Liang!"
The title of Duke sounds very prestigious, but to Lin Yi it was merely a nominal position, something he could decide with a single thought, and had nothing to do with the bigger picture.
Even if he created a hundred dukes, at most he would only lose some of his salary; everything else would be harmless.
Zhou Bao's title of Duke was actually a nominal one, a title with honor but no real power.
It's not bad to make him a target, to make him a trendsetter.
"Emperor..."
With tears streaming down his face, Zhou Bao solemnly kowtowed several times and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, I have no way to repay Zhou Bao's kindness. From now on, I will serve Your Majesty with all my heart and soul until my dying breath."
"It's alright!"
Lin Yi waved his hand, looked at the officials below, and said in a deep voice, "Now that the Great Liang has been officially established, it is the first year of Zhenwu. The calendar and documents need to be updated as soon as possible, so that the world may know the prestige of our Great Liang."